Small Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine: Analytical Blade Design and Comparison With RANS-Prediction and First Experimental Data

Author(s):  
Tom Gerhard ◽  
Michael Sturm ◽  
Thomas H. Carolus

State-of-the-art wind turbine performance prediction is mainly based on semi-analytical models, incorporating blade element momentum (BEM) analysis and empirical models. Full numerical simulation methods can yield the performance of a wind turbine without empirical assumptions. Inherent difficulties are the large computational domain required to capture all effects of the unbounded ambient flow field and the fact that the boundary layer on the blade may be transitional. A modified turbine design method in terms of the velocity triangles, Euler’s turbine equation and BEM is developed. Lift and drag coefficients are obtained from XFOIL, an open source 2D design and analysis tool for subcritical airfoils. A 3 m diameter horizontal axis wind turbine rotor was designed and manufactured. The flow field is predicted by means of a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulation. Two turbulence models were utilized: (i) a standard k-ω-SST model, (ii) a laminar/turbulent transition model. The manufactured turbine is placed on the rooftop of the University of Siegen. Three wind anemometers and wind direction sensors are arranged around the turbine. The torque is derived from electric power and the rotational speed via a calibrated grid-connected generator. The agreement between the analytically and CFD-predicted kinematic quantities up- and downstream of the rotor disc is quite satisfactory. However, the blade section drag to lift ratio and hence the power coefficient vary with the turbulence model chosen. Moreover, the experimentally determined power coefficient is considerably lower as predicted by all methods. However, this conclusion is somewhat preliminary since the existing experimental data set needs to be extended.

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-349
Author(s):  
C.-J. Bai ◽  
Y.-C. Shiah

AbstractThis paper proposes a correction method to improve the accuracy of traditional blade element momentum theory (BEMT) in predicting the mechanical power and power coefficient of horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) blade. In this paper, the traditional BEMT incorporated with the Viterna-Corrigan (VC) stall/stall-delay model is proposed to improve the accuracy of power-curve prediction, by which its applicability is thus enhanced. For verification of the proposed method, three distinct types of geometries of HAWT blades subjected to different operations are studied with outcomes compared with experimental data. Two different wind turbines developed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) were tested at constant rotational speeds in a full-scale wind tunnel to acquire performance data. As a comparative platform, another wind turbine designed by BEMT for this study was also experimented in identical environment but at variable rotational speeds. As expected, the results clearly indicate that the power-curve prediction is effectively improved by the proposed method especially in the stall region when compared with experimental data. Indeed, this study shows that the improved BEMT is an ideal means to accurately predict the power-curve used for designing an optimal HAWT rotor.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 63-71
Author(s):  
Yui-Chuin Shiah ◽  
Chia Hsiang Chang ◽  
Yu-Jen Chen ◽  
Ankam Vinod Kumar Reddy

ABSTRACT Generally, the environmental wind speeds in urban areas are relatively low due to clustered buildings. At low wind speeds, an aerodynamic stall occurs near the blade roots of a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT), leading to decay of the power coefficient. The research targets to design canards with optimal parameters for a small-scale HAWT system operated at variable rotational speeds. The design was to enhance the performance by delaying the aerodynamic stall near blade roots of the HAWT to be operated at low wind speeds. For the optimal design of canards, flow fields of the sample blades with and without canards were both simulated and compared with the experimental data. With the verification of our simulations, Taguchi analyses were performed to seek the optimum parameters of canards. This study revealed that the peak performance of the optimized canard system operated at 540 rpm might be improved by ∼35%.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artur Bugała ◽  
Olga Roszyk

This paper presents the results of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the airflow for a 300 W horizontal axis wind turbine, using additional structural elements which modify the original shape of the rotor in the form of multi-shaped bowls which change the airflow distribution. A three-dimensional CAD model of the tested wind turbine was presented, with three variants subjected to simulation: a basic wind turbine without the element that modifies the airflow distribution, a turbine with a plano-convex bowl, and a turbine with a centrally convex bowl, with the hyperbolic disappearance of convexity as the radius of the rotor increases. The momentary value of wind speed, recorded at measuring points located in the plane of wind turbine blades, demonstrated an increase when compared to the base model by 35% for the wind turbine with the plano-convex bowl, for the wind speed of 5 m/s, and 31.3% and 49% for the higher approaching wind speed, for the plano-convex bowl and centrally convex bowl, respectively. The centrally convex bowl seems to be more appropriate for higher approaching wind speeds. An increase in wind turbine efficiency, described by the power coefficient, for solutions with aerodynamic bowls was observed.


Energy ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 57-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing'an Li ◽  
Yasunari Kamada ◽  
Takao Maeda ◽  
Junsuke Murata ◽  
Yusuke Nishida

Author(s):  
N S Tachos ◽  
A E Filios ◽  
D P Margaris

The analysis of the near and far flow fields of an experimental National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) rotor, which has been used as the reference rotor for the Viscous and Aeroelastic Effects on Wind Turbine Blades (VISCEL) research program of the European Union, is described. The horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) flow is obtained by solving the steady-state Reynolds-averaged Navier—Stokes (RANS) equations, which are combined with one of four turbulence models (Spalart—Allmaras, k—∊, k—∊ renormalization group, and k—ω shear stress transport (SST)) aiming at validation of these models through a comparison of the predictions and the free field experimental measurements for the selected rotor. The computational domain is composed of 4.2×106 cells merged in a structured way, taking care of refinement of the grid near the rotor blade in order to enclose the boundary layer approach. The constant wind condition 7.2 m/s, which is the velocity of the selected experimental data, is considered in all calculations, and only the turbulence model is altered. It is confirmed that it is possible to analyse a HAWT rotor flow field with the RANS equations and that there is good agreement with experimental results, especially when they are combined with the k—ω SST turbulence model.


Author(s):  
Manoj Kumar Chaudhary ◽  
◽  
S. Prakash ◽  

In this research work, the investigation and optimization of small horizontal axis wind turbine blade at low wind speed is pursued. The experimental blades were developed using the 3D printing additive manufacturing technique. The airfoils E210, NACA2412, S1223, SG6043, E216, NACA4415, SD7080, SD7033, S1210 and MAF were tested at the wind speed of 2-6 m/s. The airfoils and optimum blade geometry were investigated with the aid of the Xfoil software at Reynolds number of 100,000. The initial investigation range included tip speed ratios from 3 to 10, solidity from 0.0431 – 0.1181 and angle of attacks from 2o to 20o. Later on these parameters were varied in MATLAB and Xfoil software for optimization and investigation of the power coefficient, lift coefficient, drag coefficient and lift to drag ratio. The cut-in wind speed of the rotors was 2 and 2.5 m/s with the winglet-equipped blades and without winglets. It was found that the E210, SG6043, E216 NACA4415 and MAF airfoil displayed better performance than the NACA 2412, S1223, SD7080, S1210 & SD7003 for the geometry optimized for the operating conditions and manufacturing method described.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Kade Wiratama ◽  
Made Mara ◽  
L. Edsona Furqan Prina

The willingness of electrical energy is one energy system has a very important role in the economic development of a country's survival. As one energy source (wind) can be converted into electrical energy with the use of a horizontal axis wind turbine. Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS) that we know are two wind turbines in general, ie the horizontal axis wind turbine and vertical axis wind turbine is one type of renewable energy use wind as an energy generator. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the number of blade and the radius chord of rotation (n), Torque (T), Turbine Power (P), Power Coefficient (CP) and Tip Speed Ratio (λ) generated by the horizontal axis wind turbine with form linear taper. The results show that by at the maximum radius of the chord R3 the number blade 4 is at rotation = 302.700 rpm, Pturbine = 7.765 watt, Torque = 0.245 Nm, λ = 3.168 and Cp = 0.403 or 40.3%.


2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Osarobo Ighodaro ◽  
David Akhihiero

Abstract Wind energy is increasingly becoming a major discussion amongst renewable energy sources due to its sustainability, reduced impact on the environment, and being significantly cheaper than conventional fossil fuels. Researchers have been particularly concerned with studying improved design and optimization using computational technique and experimentation. This research aims at designing blades for a small horizontal axis wind turbine for low Reynolds number using blade element momentum theory and using computational fluid dynamics (cfd) and experiment to analyze its performance. Two airfoils (SG6050 and SG6043) were selected for different regions of the blade span. Four turbulent models were used in predicting its performance. The performance was analyzed for wind speeds between 2 m/s and 7 m/s. Studies showed that the blade is capable of generating power up to 241 W with a power coefficient of 34.3% at a speed of 6 m/s. The computed power coefficient is in good agreement with experimental results of 33.7%.


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